Accepting Comfort
by samhaincat
Summary: A ONE SHOT exploration of Draco and Hermione after their animosity turned into friendship then possibly the first stirrings of attraction


A/N: ONE SHOT, elaboration/elongation of Chapter 63 in my fan fic Solstice. I'm exploring some possible pair ups for the sequel. This is a one shot that explores Draco and Hermione and what could slowly develop.  
  
Ginny and Harry will be the next one shot exploration.  
  
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Accepting comfort  
  
'Lucius snarled. "Avada Kedavra" and Snape with a surprised look fell dead at Draco's feet.'  
  
He screamed "Noooooooooo", someone shook him and suddenly his cheek stung as he tried to drop to his knees down to Snape. Suddenly a warm pressure on his lips made his eyes open and he found himself on a bed. Hermione was kissing him. Startled, his heart pounding, his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat he sat up breathing rapidly.  
  
"Draco, are you all right? I'm so sorry. When you started the nightmare I tried to wake you right away. I yelled at you. Shook you and I'm so sorry I, I slapped you but you didn't wake up."  
  
Draco swallowed heavily, the nightmare rebounding through his mind. After a few deep breaths and when he calmed down a bit he remembered the lips on his. He looked at her confused. "You kissed me?"  
  
She threw her arms up into the air, her eyes wide and worried. "I couldn't think of what else to do, you looked so upset and nothing I did worked. " Her eyes darkened. "I'm sorry."  
  
He shook his head, he was still shaking. "It's ok, I guess it worked. " With a groan he lay back on the pillows closing his eyes.  
  
"What was your nightmare about?" She whispered.  
  
With his eyes tightly closed, he shook his head. All the fears that lay close to his heart were tied up in that nightmare; he couldn't talk about it rationally.  
  
"I'm so sorry I couldn't wake you sooner." She gingerly touched his reddened cheek, she had become desperate to wake him from the torturous throws of his nightmare and after shaking him and yelling at him didn't work, she slapped him. Her heart ached knowing how Lucius had last hit him and broken his jaw.  
  
His eyes opened at her gentle touch. He squirmed uncomfortably under her intense gaze. He sat up quickly. "I have to go." She gripped his arm quickly. "No Draco, it's ok, just rest, you need to rest."  
  
He sat there not looking at her, his heart racing.  
  
"Was it about you father?' she asked quietly.  
  
The mention of his father brought a surge of pain so strong that for a moment everything went dark. He tried to get off the bed but his arm was gripped hard. He turned on her cruelly in desperation shouting, "Get your hands off me mudblood!"  
  
Shocked, Hermione let go of him quickly. His eyes were ice, his face flushed, his body trembling.  
  
The hurt look on Hermione's face shot through him like a jolt of lightening. He opened his mouth to apologize but ended up biting his lip instead as his voice had deserted him.  
  
"Draco?" She asked tentatively. His burst of anger had startled her. She was shocked he had called her mudblood. She had trusted him to not do that again. As much as she wanted to just leave him there, she knew whatever his nightmare had been about it had shaken him badly. He stood there looking as if he would burst into tears.  
  
Seeing him so distraught calmed her own anger. "I won't ask anymore questions. I promise, just lie down."  
  
He breathed a shaky sigh of relief; she was still being nice to him even after he had called her mudblood. He swallowed the burning in his throat to whisper "sorry."  
  
She pulled back the covers for him to climb under again while she stayed on top of the sheet; he glanced at her, she wasn't looking at him, she hadn't accepted his apology. He tried to apologize again but the words came out in soft sob not making it past the lump in his throat that had formed when he saw Snape fall dead at his feet. He ended up on the bed his head in his hands as shivers coursed through him.  
  
"Stop thinking about it Draco, it was only a dream. Everything is all right now. You are safe at Hogwarts and Professor Snape is your guardian." Came Hermione's soft voice.  
  
He blindly reached toward her voice wrapping his arms around her tightly wanting to hold her hoping her warmth would ward off the shivers coursing through him; he was grateful she didn't push him away. Her arms came around him gently. Her hand stroked the silvery blond strands. "Shh it's ok." She cursed Lucius for all the pain he had inflicted on his son. Draco was still having nightmares. She wished she could wipe it all out of his mind.  
  
He breath was hot on her neck, his hair ticked her face. He smelled so good, of sandalwood from the bath he had taken earlier. She turned her head slightly, her face against his neck. He stiffened suddenly pulling slightly away from her shoulder. "I'm sorry I called you mudblood, I didn't mean to, I don't know what made me."  
  
"I do." She stated softly, her voice barely a whisper. "You were trying to make me leave you alone, to make me mad enough to leave you because you didn't want to talk about your nightmare." She said the last words looking intently into his blue grey eyes. When his gaze darkened and he looked irritated she knew she had guessed correctly. He broke the eye contact. "I dreamt my gather killed Snape."  
  
"It's just a dream, whatever happens you have us now."  
  
He didn't respond instead looked despondently at the covers on the bed.  
  
She ruffled his hair and kissed him on the cheek where she had slapped him earlier. He moved his head so suddenly his lips were on hers, hot and probing. With a soft gasp of surprise she opened her mouth and accepted his kiss. A spiral of pleasure shivered up her back. When he started pushing her back on the bed, she bolted, her hands on his shoulders.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?' Her heart pounded painfully. She wasn't about to sleep with Draco.  
  
He looked at her his eyes wide with hurt. "I, I don't know."  
  
She sighed deeply, noting the dark shadows under his eyes. "Sorry, you surprised me that's all." She grinned at him embarrasedly. "Why don't you lie down again and try to sleep. You look very tired."  
  
He nodded and lay down again, smiling softly as she tucked the comforter around him. "Are you going to tuck me in every night, Granger?"  
  
She narrowed her eyes. "Just shut up and go to sleep Malfoy." She grinned at him again and lay down beside him.  
  
He mumbled something that sounded like. "If you have the urge to wake me, remember kissing me works best."  
  
She couldn't help grinning again as she watched him drift off to sleep. 


End file.
